1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Can't f I am six forty. You're listening to the 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: John Cobel podcast on the iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 2: App Lou Penrose and for John Cobelt. Good to have 4 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 2: you along with us ABC News legal analysts, Well Oaks 5 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 2: joins us the. 6 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 3: Latest round of Epstein files. 7 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 2: Where does it leave us? Is Trump in worse shape? 8 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 2: Better shape? I just see a lot of photographs of 9 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 2: Clinton and Hantub Royal? 10 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 3: Are we almost Are we done with the data dump? 11 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 2: Or is this just going to be a Chinese water 12 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 2: torture of slow trickle. 13 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 4: I got a double check for that picture. Yeah, you know, 14 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 4: it's amazing, isn't it. Low It just goes on and on. 15 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 4: I mean, Epstein was arrested again in twenty nineteen, and 16 00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 4: then he was dead, and yet it's still coming out. 17 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 4: But I mean to answer your question, you know, we've 18 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 4: all seen some sort of provocative images, but no real 19 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 4: smoking guns. I mean, not even as sneaky as that 20 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 4: picture Prince Andrew, you know, looking out out the door. 21 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 4: Bottom line is that people are still suspiciously because we 22 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 4: see these redactions, just blacked dot portions. Now the officials say, well, 23 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 4: we've got alleged victims, and we have to protect their privacy. 24 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:14,360 Speaker 4: But the Democrats are saying that Trump's dojy early isn't 25 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 4: being really forthcoming in terms of what they're redacting. Ultimately, 26 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 4: it may take a judge looking at everything without the 27 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 4: blacked out stuff seeing everything to decide whether or not 28 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 4: the redactions are fair. 29 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 2: So let's say you, for and who knows what the 30 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 2: circumstances would be, but you find yourself invited by Jeffrey 31 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:37,679 Speaker 2: Epstein to a weekend with a bunch of other people. 32 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 2: I don't know if you're a financier or a banker, 33 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:44,120 Speaker 2: or some new celebrity some read right you heard about 34 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 2: this guy throws a huge party. 35 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 3: He's got his own island. That's all you know. You 36 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 3: don't know any of the arrests or anything like that. 37 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 2: And now you're there and you don't see anything inappropriate. 38 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 2: You have dinner and spend time with them, and spend 39 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 2: time with the other people, and you fly home. Ten 40 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 2: years goes by, and now your name is on some 41 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 2: piece of paper in an email that you were there, 42 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 2: and you've done nothing wrong. 43 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 3: You saw nothing wrong, you've enabled nothing wrong. 44 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 2: I mean, these people's privacy does matter, because if somebody's 45 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 2: name comes out that they were there ten years ago 46 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 2: with their wife. It could be detrimental to their business 47 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 2: success and their their their reputation. 48 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:26,960 Speaker 4: Oh absolutely, I mean it's guilt by association. I mean, 49 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 4: of course you showed up them as a giant sign 50 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 4: welcome to the little Leitown Island. You know, that would 51 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 4: be a tell. But the bottom line is you're right. 52 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 4: A lot of people, you know, hang out with folks 53 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 4: who are you know, filthy rich, and maybe they knew 54 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 4: nothing about any alleged illegal activity, but they're going to 55 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 4: be tarred with the same brush. That's why, after so 56 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:50,359 Speaker 4: many years, it is strange that we haven't seen people 57 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,119 Speaker 4: come forward with sort of proof positive as somebody who 58 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 4: was sixteen at the time and they happened to have 59 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 4: a recording or a video or a picture. We're just 60 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 4: not seeing that at least as to the huge names 61 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 4: like Trump or Clinton. But you know, we just have 62 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,080 Speaker 4: to play it out. And of course the Democrats have 63 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,799 Speaker 4: a chance next November. If they take the House, then 64 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 4: every chair every committee in the House will be a Democrat, 65 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,079 Speaker 4: in which case they can launch more investigations, issue more subpoenas. 66 00:03:17,120 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 4: Right now, Chuck Schumer is threatening to go to court, 67 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 4: and there could be some court fights between now and 68 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 4: next November. Bottom line though, is I think this is 69 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 4: just going to continue dribs and grabs. Maybe we see 70 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 4: a light at the end of the tunnel, but it's 71 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 4: a case that just won't go away. 72 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 2: Well, like any conspiracy theory, it does serve to fascinate people. 73 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 2: So if politically speaking, if you are trying to distract 74 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 2: from top story like GDP growth, you'll reenter this into 75 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:50,280 Speaker 2: the conversation. 76 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 3: And Trump knows it, and you could tell it bothers 77 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 3: him a lot. It was the source of. 78 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 2: The breakup between he and Marjorie Taylor Green and other Republicans. 79 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 2: Just he's trying to keep everybody on message. He believes 80 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 2: there's nothing there. He's not clearly not afraid of anything 81 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 2: coming out that could be damning to him. What he's 82 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 2: most afraid of is some other headline, some other narrative 83 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 2: other than what I'm trying to do as president. And 84 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 2: that this thing stays alive means that it's just a 85 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:22,359 Speaker 2: tool in democrats toolbox at any given time to just 86 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 2: you know, bring up a story or change the narrative 87 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 2: from something else. And if Democrats do control the House, 88 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 2: they will constantly be able to pull that trigger. 89 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 4: Oh absolutely, then it'll just be the evergreen, evergreen story. 90 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:39,040 Speaker 4: And it's a great point. I think that the reason 91 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 4: this story just has such legs is because you know, 92 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 4: there are two legs. The last leg the Democrats. They 93 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 4: want to keep it alive because they're convinced there's something 94 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:52,760 Speaker 4: incriminating about Donald Trump. So they're pushing the right. They're 95 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:56,279 Speaker 4: pushing because the Marjorie Taylor Greens of the world think 96 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 4: that this is a huge conspiracy and a cover up 97 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 4: of you know, of all the sexual exploitation, and they 98 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 4: think Donald Trump or excuse me, Bill Clinton, is probably responsible. 99 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 4: So I mean, how many issues do you see where 100 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:13,479 Speaker 4: both sides have big chunks of the demographic pushing for this. 101 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,039 Speaker 4: And of course, you know, they've got a bipartisan support 102 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,839 Speaker 4: for the Epstein Files Transparency Act several weeks ago, so 103 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 4: that's the law. You got to hand the stuff over. 104 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 4: And you know, if the Democrats really think that Trump 105 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 4: DOJ is cheating and redacting stuff that would embarrass Donald Trump, 106 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:30,160 Speaker 4: ultimately it's just going to wind up in the chambers 107 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:32,760 Speaker 4: of a judge and the judge looks at the documents 108 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 4: before the redactions, the little black bars were applied, and 109 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 4: the judge will decide whether or not it was appropriate 110 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 4: or whether it was something fishy in removing something to 111 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 4: hide it from the public. 112 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 2: Is there any longer a political constituency for the Clintons 113 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 2: among Democrats that say, hey, you know, this is embarrassing 114 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 2: to the former president. 115 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 3: And it's not looking good. 116 00:05:57,080 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 2: So maybe as Democrats we want to lay off the 117 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 2: Epstein thing, because is only going to be more photos 118 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:03,280 Speaker 2: of the former president. 119 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 3: Of the United States. 120 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:06,119 Speaker 2: I mean, does he have a fan club anymore, cheering 121 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:08,279 Speaker 2: section and the contemporary Democrat Party. 122 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,840 Speaker 4: I think he does because you know, if you look 123 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 4: at politics in America over the last several decades, it's 124 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 4: not just a silo. You know, you go from Carter 125 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 4: to Reagan to Bush. You've got the two sides. And 126 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,480 Speaker 4: I think, just as Republicans always have kind of fond 127 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 4: feelings about Eisenhower and Dick Nixon and Reagan and Bush 128 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:31,839 Speaker 4: and then Trump, the same thing with the Democrats. You know, 129 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:38,360 Speaker 4: JFK and Johnson and Bill Clinton and Obama their teammates. 130 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 4: So I think people on the left want to sort 131 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 4: of circle the wagons and protect the people in their party, 132 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 4: and the same thing on the right. So that's why 133 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 4: this story just does not want to go away. 134 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 2: Well, I have a prediction, and that is another hot 135 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:55,480 Speaker 2: tub photo comes out with the former president in it. 136 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 2: Bill Clinton is not standing on that stage in the 137 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,479 Speaker 2: twenty twenty eight convention. 138 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 4: Is it? 139 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 3: No chance? 140 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:05,559 Speaker 4: But I appreciated politicians to just stay out of hot tubs. 141 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 4: That's that's, that's the rule. 142 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 2: Royal Oaks, ABC News Legal analysts, Thanks so much, good 143 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 2: to talk to you. Happy holidays to you and all 144 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 2: your all your family, and we'll catch with You'll catch. 145 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 3: Up with you again. 146 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 4: Name do you? 147 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 3: Thanks? 148 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, No more photographs, any more photographs of Bill Clinton 149 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 2: in that hot tub. And he's not going to be 150 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 2: on that stage if he's invited back to the Democratic 151 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 2: National Convention. I have no idea what the Democratic National 152 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 2: Convention will even look like in twenty twenty eight. Who's 153 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 2: going to be on that stage, who's gonna be giving 154 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 2: those speeches? It's going to be a wild time, all right. 155 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 2: So when we come back. Popular retailers now are all 156 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 2: implementing new return fees this holiday season. Does it apply 157 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 2: to purchases that you did in the mail or in 158 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 2: person or how does it all work. I'll tell you 159 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 2: how much you're going to pay to take something back 160 00:07:57,640 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 2: and how are you going to do it. 161 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 3: That's all coming up next on The John Cobelt Show. 162 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 2: Lou Penrose Info, John Coblt on KFI AM six forty 163 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 2: live everywhere on the iHeartRadio apps. 164 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 5: You're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI AM 165 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 5: six forty. 166 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 2: Lou Penrose Info. John Cobelt on The John coblt Show. Yeah, 167 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 2: keeping an eye on the rain for sure. The National 168 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 2: Weather Service in Los Angeles are very serious about this 169 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 2: forecast and the potential danger of mud slides, rock slides 170 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:34,679 Speaker 2: and flooding and all kinds of issues that come with 171 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 2: a lot of rain. A strong extreme atmospheric river dropping 172 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 2: four to seven inches in eighteen hours, so they're saying 173 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 2: high risk of flash flooding. You could drive from Crescent 174 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 2: City to San Diego nearly eight hundred and fifty miles 175 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,839 Speaker 2: and be under the same National Weather Service floodwatch the 176 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:55,640 Speaker 2: entire time. 177 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:58,080 Speaker 3: So, Yeah, it's gonna rain a lot. 178 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 2: And I know it sounds a little hysterical. I get that, 179 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 2: like it's rain. You know, we can drive in the rain. 180 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 2: That's what the Winschi wipers are for. But I do 181 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 2: know that these National weather guys, the folks that come 182 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,079 Speaker 2: on from the National Weather Service, they are like really 183 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:22,280 Speaker 2: thoughtful meteorologists. They really like their craft, they like what 184 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 2: they're doing, they know a whole lot about it. Weather 185 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 2: excites them and they are to be taken seriously. So 186 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 2: before you know, I just kind of write it off 187 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 2: as like, oh my gosh, can you get more hysterical 188 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 2: about some rain? I get it, it's gonna rain a lot. 189 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 2: We can handle it. 190 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:42,959 Speaker 3: I'm going to trust their judgment, all right. 191 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 2: So if you're gonna return gifts to the store, you 192 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 2: can go in physically in person and return your gifts 193 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:54,160 Speaker 2: and not be charged. But if you're going to mail 194 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 2: your returns back, and a lot of these companies do 195 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:01,679 Speaker 2: have a very convenient return on it, they'll even send 196 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 2: you a barcode. I don't know how Amazon does it. 197 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 2: I really don't. 198 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:11,679 Speaker 3: I've returned things at Amazon, and you can just print. 199 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 2: If you have a printer at your house, you can 200 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:17,559 Speaker 2: just print out a label and have the UPS guy 201 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 2: com when if you have UPS near you, or they 202 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 2: could regularly come to your office or you can go 203 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 2: to the UPS store and drop it all. You can 204 00:10:24,559 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 2: even take it without boxing it. Some products anyway, and 205 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 2: they just they I don't know how they. 206 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 3: Know where it goes. 207 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 2: I think just Amazon throws everything out. I don't know 208 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:38,439 Speaker 2: if they restock anything. I don't know where they'd keep it. 209 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 2: I'm I cannot like that level of scale is beyond 210 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:46,680 Speaker 2: my level of comprehension. So Amazon makes it really easy. 211 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:49,439 Speaker 2: But these other stores, I kind of get it. There 212 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 2: are a lot of people that are very wasteful when 213 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 2: it comes to shopping, particularly with clothing. I know a woman, 214 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:01,000 Speaker 2: the wife of a friend, so I don't want to 215 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,840 Speaker 2: out that person. She doesn't live in the state anymore, 216 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 2: but she literally buys clothing in different sizes and different 217 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 2: Like she wants to buy one outfit, one pants and 218 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:17,120 Speaker 2: the top, she'll buy it in like three or four 219 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:22,839 Speaker 2: different colors and two sizes, try it on, find out 220 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 2: which one works the best, and return everything else and 221 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 2: like all the time, Like that's how she does her 222 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 2: clothing shopping. And she justifies it. She's like, well, it's 223 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 2: the same thing if I go into Macy's, I take 224 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 2: two different colors, two different sizes into the changing room, 225 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 2: and I try everything on, and the one that's most 226 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 2: flattering and the one that fits the best is the 227 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 2: one I keep, and the rest go back on the rack. 228 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 2: And she doesn't even put them back on the rack herself, 229 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:54,959 Speaker 2: just throws them in that great big bin. But I 230 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:58,439 Speaker 2: think he's supposed to do that. So her attitude is, well, 231 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 2: it's the same thing. I mean, I'm they're saving money 232 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 2: because there's not a storefront, and I'm not going to 233 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 2: wear something or have something that doesn't fit, and I'm 234 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 2: not going to do this seven times in a row, 235 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:12,880 Speaker 2: so I'll just do it all at once, return it, 236 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:13,920 Speaker 2: it credits the account. 237 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:14,920 Speaker 3: She keeps an eye on. 238 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:17,480 Speaker 2: It because you know, the one purchase is four times 239 00:12:17,480 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 2: the amount that she wanted to spend for the outfit, 240 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,080 Speaker 2: but three are going back and it's. 241 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:25,080 Speaker 3: Okay, and that's how she shops. And I don't know. 242 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 2: Something about that feels wasteful to me. You're wasting people's time. 243 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:31,679 Speaker 2: These are products. 244 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:34,440 Speaker 3: So I'm kind of a fan of the restock fee. 245 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:38,560 Speaker 2: I do think that if you buy something and it's 246 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:44,200 Speaker 2: fine and it's not broken, and you knowingly chose it 247 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:50,560 Speaker 2: and now took it home and decided that you no 248 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 2: longer want to own it. If you want to bring 249 00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:55,920 Speaker 2: it back to the store, if it's opened and used, 250 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 2: I think the store probably has a right to refuse it. 251 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:00,559 Speaker 2: But if it's unopened, I think this or has a 252 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 2: right to say, okay, there's a two percent restock fee 253 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 2: or a three percent restock fee, because it's work for 254 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:09,760 Speaker 2: the store to sell it to you and then and 255 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:11,240 Speaker 2: then take it back and put the money back on 256 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 2: your credit card. It was not on the shelf, so 257 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 2: it was a potential loss of a sale. 258 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:21,200 Speaker 3: What if it was the last I don't know oil. 259 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 2: Filter and now you have it, You had it out 260 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:25,679 Speaker 2: in your house for a week, you brought it back 261 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:27,719 Speaker 2: to the store. Yeah, I don't want to change the 262 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:30,439 Speaker 2: oil myself. Here's your oil filter back. Okay, here's the 263 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 2: money back on your credit card. But that was the 264 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 2: last one. And then somebody in the meantime needed to 265 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:36,480 Speaker 2: have that oil filter, they couldn't buy it because it 266 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 2: wasn't there. 267 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:38,240 Speaker 3: It was in your house, you follow. 268 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 2: So I think it is totally fair for that to 269 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:43,520 Speaker 2: be a restock fee, and I think it would keep 270 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 2: all of us kind of in check about what is 271 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:50,680 Speaker 2: all going on. If we knew that, Hey, when I 272 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:54,319 Speaker 2: buy this, it's going to cost me a little bit 273 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:57,680 Speaker 2: to return it if I'm returning it for no reason. 274 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:04,280 Speaker 3: Now if it's busted or like an obvious mistake. 275 00:14:04,360 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, they're extenuating circumstances. But again, uh, 276 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 2: what so what am I saying? At one percent, two percent, 277 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:13,199 Speaker 2: three percent restock fee? Listen to these restock fees. These 278 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 2: are called return fees for this holiday season. American Eagle 279 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 2: Outfitters five dollars per item to return it, Best Buy 280 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 2: forty five dollars on all returns. H and M three 281 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 2: ninety nine, J Cruz seven point fifty J C penny 282 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:35,160 Speaker 2: eight dollar fee. There has to be a minimum, right, 283 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 2: I'm sure this is on a minimum purchase. They didn't 284 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:40,280 Speaker 2: say it in the article, but I can imagine they'd 285 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:42,880 Speaker 2: charge you an eight dollar restock fee on a nineteen 286 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 2: dollars item. Marshall's eleven ninety nine per item, J TJ 287 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:51,480 Speaker 2: Max eleven ninety nine. Well that's the same company, Macy's 288 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 2: nine to ninety nine. The fees are charged for mailed returns. 289 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 2: For free returns, you must physically go into one of 290 00:14:57,760 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 2: their stores. 291 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 3: So this is going to be the new argument. 292 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 2: I think they don't do this at Costco, but you 293 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 2: will not be able to return something at Costco until 294 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 2: Valentine's Day. The Costco return line is one of the 295 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 2: trickiest things to time, and I've never fully been able 296 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 2: to do it. They basically take back everything at Costco 297 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 2: because it's membership based, so you don't really have to 298 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:27,760 Speaker 2: make up a story. You don't have to have the 299 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:31,360 Speaker 2: packaging all together. They just need to find somewhere where 300 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 2: it's in their computer, and then it goes back on 301 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 2: your Costco card and they just throw it into this 302 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 2: great big pile. I have no idea where it goes, 303 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 2: but I think they're less concerned about the profit loss 304 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,360 Speaker 2: at Costco, but some of these other stores are clearly concerned. 305 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 3: About the loss. 306 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:49,000 Speaker 2: And I don't begrudge them that these fees seem a 307 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 2: little high. 308 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 3: They really do seven fifty j crew what's going on. 309 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 2: But I still contend that a restocking fee of some 310 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 2: kind we'll keep people in line. 311 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 3: I get it, it's. 312 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 2: Really convenient to order something and have it delivered to 313 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 2: your house, try it on, and then send it back. 314 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 3: But that's taking time. It takes energy that many more 315 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,760 Speaker 3: boxes on the truck, and you got to be a 316 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 3: little bit more thoughtful about your purchases. 317 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:20,560 Speaker 2: That's the way I see it, all right, when we 318 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:28,160 Speaker 2: come back, the new concern about AI is driving more 319 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 2: and more people into more and more young people anyway, 320 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:37,160 Speaker 2: considering blue collar jobs, blue collar workforce applications are growing. 321 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 2: Peter Navarro, former Trump economic advisor and a long time 322 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:48,720 Speaker 2: advocate for blue collar manufacturing in the United States. He 323 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 2: was speaking today what will blue collar jobs look like 324 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:57,360 Speaker 2: in the future with AI. I'll tell you what he 325 00:16:57,400 --> 00:17:00,240 Speaker 2: had to say. That's all coming up next. Lou Penrose Info, 326 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 2: John Cobelt on The John Cobelt Show kf I AM 327 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:05,640 Speaker 2: six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. 328 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:10,879 Speaker 5: You're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI AM 329 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 5: six forty. 330 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 3: Blue Penrose Info. John Cobelt on the John Cobelt Show. 331 00:17:16,080 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 2: So everyone's concerned about AI and Peter Navarro was asked 332 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 2: about basically long term economic thinking. Right, it's great that 333 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:30,879 Speaker 2: we are exporting more. The GDP number came in high, 334 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:35,200 Speaker 2: really high. Three point three was the estimate. Four point 335 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 2: three was the result a one percent larger gross domestic 336 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:44,160 Speaker 2: product of the United States on a twenty six trillion 337 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 2: dollar economy, not small, So hooray. Things are going in 338 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 2: the right direction, and we to look forward to the 339 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:54,240 Speaker 2: future where the job is going to be. Everyone talks 340 00:17:54,240 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 2: about AI, and for the most part, the only AI 341 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 2: that I am seeing implement is at the drive through window, 342 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 2: Like I don't see that. I'm sure it's doing a 343 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 2: lot of things. I just don't know how it's affecting 344 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:11,920 Speaker 2: my life. And I haven't seen anybody fired for being 345 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:14,400 Speaker 2: replaced by AI, at least not yet. 346 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:16,280 Speaker 3: I know a lot of people in radio are worried. 347 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 3: That's why we're human on KFI. Did you know that? 348 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:24,919 Speaker 2: Just a little reminder, But yeah, I mean people are 349 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 2: using AI to fact check things. 350 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 3: It's basically like a really good Google search. 351 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 2: And also they take your entire order at the Carls 352 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 2: Junior by my house, and that's pretty much it. But 353 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 2: we're told that AI is going to replace a lot 354 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:41,879 Speaker 2: of jobs in America and we're going to. 355 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 3: Go through a huge shift, really like. 356 00:18:44,160 --> 00:18:49,680 Speaker 2: A a paradigm shift is the term that's being used 357 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 2: in the workplace. What will never be replaced is manual work, 358 00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 2: blue collar jobs. And Navarro said that's what people need 359 00:18:58,320 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 2: to start thinking about. 360 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 6: It's a good time for people to to think about 361 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:05,879 Speaker 6: having good blue collar jobs. 362 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:09,200 Speaker 3: I mean that used to be how and Dereka prosper the. 363 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:13,160 Speaker 6: Middle class, the blue collar middle class, because they had 364 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 6: good wages at the time, back in the days when 365 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 6: Detroit was king was a beautiful age. 366 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:21,359 Speaker 3: Beautiful age. Yeah, he's not wrong. 367 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:26,119 Speaker 2: What people make stuff out of raw materials, that is 368 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 2: valuable and we'll always need to do that, and there's 369 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 2: nothing wrong. In fact, I find it quite satisfying to 370 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:38,639 Speaker 2: work with my hands. I was tinkering as a kid. 371 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 2: My grandfather was a general contractor, so there was all 372 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 2: kinds of tools around all the time. He had every 373 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 2: tool and you know, just taking lawnmower engines and turning 374 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 2: them into mini bites and go karts and adjusting things. 375 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:54,919 Speaker 2: I did that as a young kid, and I enjoyed 376 00:19:54,920 --> 00:20:01,080 Speaker 2: it and just always repaired stuff. And nowadays it's not 377 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 2: really worth it to repair stuff. But when you're a 378 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:05,880 Speaker 2: kid and you get out that soldering iron, you really 379 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:08,160 Speaker 2: know that you're going to fix something, and it's kind 380 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:12,119 Speaker 2: of magical. And I've had the experience of teaching that 381 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:14,640 Speaker 2: to my sons which is really rewarding. 382 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:18,640 Speaker 3: We bought a beat up pit bike from some guy 383 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:24,640 Speaker 3: who was also a pit bull like dealer. 384 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 2: I guess way out in Redlands, that's where they all 385 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:32,640 Speaker 2: are pit bull breeders, and beat up pit bikes are 386 00:20:32,720 --> 00:20:36,919 Speaker 2: out there. And we took it home and it was 387 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:41,320 Speaker 2: completely not working and parts not available because it was 388 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:45,160 Speaker 2: a Chinese knockoff of a Honda CRX CRS. And we 389 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:47,200 Speaker 2: played with it and I showed him how to use tools, 390 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 2: and it was really a lot of fun, and we 391 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,119 Speaker 2: got the thing started, and then we got the thing working, 392 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:54,440 Speaker 2: and then we were able to ride it around until 393 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 2: the neighbor called the police. So it was really rewarding, 394 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:59,359 Speaker 2: and like working with your hands and fixing things and 395 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:02,439 Speaker 2: using tools. That's good work and it will always be 396 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 2: valuable and the robot will never be able to do it. 397 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:11,159 Speaker 2: So that's not a terrible idea to start directing people 398 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:16,000 Speaker 2: into blue collar jobs. That is the missing link in 399 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:22,520 Speaker 2: America's prosperity, turning raw materials into refined products for sale 400 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 2: in the American marketplace. I've told this story so many times, 401 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 2: but I'll say it again. We mentioned Costco earlier. When 402 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:35,560 Speaker 2: you go to Costco. And you see a flat screen 403 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:40,400 Speaker 2: TV from Visio for eight ninety nine retail eight ninety nine, 404 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:43,200 Speaker 2: it's a good deal. Flat screen TVs have come down 405 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 2: in price and they are beautiful. My sons have the 406 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 2: OLEAD and it's the best TV in the house, is 407 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 2: in my son's room. 408 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:55,399 Speaker 3: It's really incredible, frankly, and eight ninety nine it's the steal. 409 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,919 Speaker 2: Right. Take that TV that's sixty five inch old lead 410 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 2: TV and you grind it down to its basic components, 411 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:06,040 Speaker 2: like like the raw materials. 412 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:08,000 Speaker 3: That are involved there, and what do you have? 413 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:13,720 Speaker 2: I would argue you have probably five to eight dollars 414 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:21,120 Speaker 2: worth of glass, plastic, copper, rubber and packaging. I would 415 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:22,840 Speaker 2: argue you have more money in packaging the way these 416 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 2: things are packaged than you do in raw materials. 417 00:22:26,560 --> 00:22:27,080 Speaker 3: So that's it. 418 00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:29,639 Speaker 2: Like if you grind it like like literally throat in 419 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:31,160 Speaker 2: a blender and grind it all up, what do you got? 420 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 2: You got black plastic dust which is plastic, and some 421 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:38,399 Speaker 2: some copper wiring not a lot, some silver solder not 422 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:43,679 Speaker 2: a lot, glass and little else, just raw materials. The 423 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:48,320 Speaker 2: difference between that five dollars of raw materials and the 424 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 2: finished television that retails for eight ninety nine, eight hundred 425 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 2: and ninety nine dollars. The difference between five dollars and 426 00:22:55,840 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 2: nine hundred dollars that delta that represented the American manufacturing economy, 427 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:06,040 Speaker 2: and that American manufacturing economy created jobs and sustained jobs 428 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:11,520 Speaker 2: all across this nation, not just in manufacturing televisions but 429 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 2: all electronics. So there's work and there's products. And the 430 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:23,439 Speaker 2: good news is we don't live on an island. We 431 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:28,639 Speaker 2: have all the raw materials and all the places to 432 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 2: get the raw materials to the factory floor. Like the infrastructure, ironically, 433 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:38,600 Speaker 2: the infrastructure to make America great again in a manufacturing sense, 434 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 2: like Navarro was talking about putting Americans back to work 435 00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:43,800 Speaker 2: in jobs that AI could never take. 436 00:23:43,640 --> 00:23:48,439 Speaker 3: Away building things from raw materials. The infrastructure is already there. 437 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 2: Like iron came from Birmingham, Alabama, and all the steel 438 00:23:56,359 --> 00:23:58,720 Speaker 2: that's used in cars in Detroit, all the steel that's 439 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:02,520 Speaker 2: used in appliances that were manufactured in the Midwest, all 440 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:05,840 Speaker 2: the steel came from iron from Birmingham, Alabama, and the 441 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 2: railway lines are still there, and the like all the 442 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:14,360 Speaker 2: raw materials, whether it's lumber from North Carolina to make 443 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:19,399 Speaker 2: your furniture or the fabric that's milled in upstate New 444 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 2: York that covered that furniture. Like, all those interconnections by 445 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:27,000 Speaker 2: rail are all still there. 446 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:28,880 Speaker 3: For the most part, those rail lines are still there. 447 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 2: They all go into the Midwest right Take an aerial 448 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 2: view of the railway system of Chicago. It's all designed 449 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,160 Speaker 2: to get raw materials from all over the United States 450 00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:44,879 Speaker 2: to the manufacturing hub in the Midwest, and the railspurg 451 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:46,440 Speaker 2: goes right up to the loading dock. 452 00:24:47,440 --> 00:24:48,479 Speaker 3: Like, the infrastructure is all there. 453 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:51,159 Speaker 2: And then all those rail lines go to every major city, 454 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 2: at least every major city circa nineteen seventy five in 455 00:24:55,840 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 2: the United States, where it would be put on a 456 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 2: truck and then the truck would take it to the market, 457 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:04,160 Speaker 2: and then you'd go to the market and you'd buy 458 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:09,480 Speaker 2: the finished product. So the infrastructure to support this whole 459 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:12,600 Speaker 2: renaissance of blue collar jobs is all there. 460 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,480 Speaker 3: It's just there for the taking. We'll see where the 461 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:17,400 Speaker 3: future goes. 462 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:21,359 Speaker 2: But you'll never go wrong making something out of nothing 463 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:23,639 Speaker 2: and then bringing it to market for sale. And I 464 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:26,800 Speaker 2: think that blue collar wave is something that has to 465 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 2: be seriously looked at, seriously looked at. Lou Penrose Info 466 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:33,560 Speaker 2: John Cobelt on The John Coblt Show on KFI AM 467 00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:36,120 Speaker 2: six forty Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. 468 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:41,439 Speaker 5: You're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI AM six. 469 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 2: Lou Penrose in for John Coblt on the John Coblt Show. 470 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 3: Good to have you along with. 471 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:51,600 Speaker 2: Us on a wet Tuesday that's about to become a 472 00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:52,200 Speaker 2: whole lot wetter. 473 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:54,800 Speaker 7: Blu collar work is good, but it doesn't work that 474 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:57,360 Speaker 7: way nowadays. You can make forty five dollars an hour 475 00:25:57,359 --> 00:25:59,080 Speaker 7: and still not be able to afford a house unless 476 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:01,760 Speaker 7: you live in the Midwest where you can be a manager, 477 00:26:01,920 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 7: which is a white collar and you're gonna make a 478 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:05,480 Speaker 7: lot of money not even really knowing the job, just 479 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 7: because your degree says you do. So that's the world 480 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:11,000 Speaker 7: we live in, speaking from experience on both ends of it. 481 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:14,159 Speaker 7: Managerial with a degree working up in a blue collar 482 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 7: it's not the same how it was for my grandparents. 483 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:19,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's not the same, but it was that way 484 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:25,440 Speaker 2: for your grandparents and your parents. So that's the question, right, 485 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 2: Examine the conditions, because you could live in the same 486 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 2: town as your manager in blue collar America, not the 487 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:36,560 Speaker 2: same part of town, but you could live in the 488 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:42,240 Speaker 2: same town, you live in the same area, and you 489 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 2: could become a manager and then you move to the 490 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 2: other side of the town like that. 491 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:48,320 Speaker 3: That's that's a very interesting point. 492 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:54,240 Speaker 2: So to actually work with your hands at the factory 493 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:57,879 Speaker 2: doesn't pay enough money to live in the same town 494 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 2: as management. So that's that's an imbalance, and that's a 495 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:01,640 Speaker 2: whole separate discussion. 496 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:02,640 Speaker 3: But I appreciate the call. 497 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:05,919 Speaker 8: I gotta tell you, man, you're pretty delusional if you 498 00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,679 Speaker 8: believe that AI isn't going to take over the blue 499 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:12,440 Speaker 8: collar industries. Also, those things are going to be able 500 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:17,919 Speaker 8: to build everything, Okay. Also, that's just not where we 501 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 8: are mentally. Some girl or boy in high school who's 502 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:27,680 Speaker 8: exceeding exceptually well in mathematics or science or anything else 503 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:31,000 Speaker 8: that a white collar sector is going to value. 504 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:32,800 Speaker 3: At a time. I appreciate the call. I think I 505 00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:33,600 Speaker 3: know where you're going. 506 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 2: First off, I challenge that, and maybe I'm completely off. 507 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:42,119 Speaker 2: Build everything, that's all you hear, Ai Lou, It's gonna 508 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:47,520 Speaker 2: build everything. How how does artificial intelligence, which is effectively 509 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:50,800 Speaker 2: a search engine, at least in my experience, I mean, 510 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 2: you tell me how that manufactures equipment, heavy equipment, how 511 00:27:56,000 --> 00:28:00,440 Speaker 2: it manufactures airplanes for Boeing, how it manufactures, how houses, 512 00:28:01,240 --> 00:28:04,359 Speaker 2: how it fixes things. I get that it can problem 513 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:07,920 Speaker 2: solve quicker, but then a person needs to go solve 514 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:08,480 Speaker 2: the problem. 515 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 3: It will have an impact. Look, fax machines had an impact. 516 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:17,920 Speaker 3: Email has an impact. But the net good is we're 517 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:19,439 Speaker 3: more efficient with our time. 518 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:22,159 Speaker 2: We don't have to we don't have to mail the 519 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:26,399 Speaker 2: contract across town or have a delivery person right deliver 520 00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:29,240 Speaker 2: the contract and then have somebody sign it and then 521 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:30,640 Speaker 2: bring it back right. 522 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 3: We do all this electronically. 523 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:37,120 Speaker 2: That increases our time availability to do the next thing. 524 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 3: So yeah, I mean everything has a small impact. 525 00:28:43,280 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 2: But I'm hearing these ominous discussions about how AI is 526 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 2: going to take over and none of us are gonna 527 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:54,920 Speaker 2: have a job, and Comma when it does, young people 528 00:28:55,000 --> 00:29:00,600 Speaker 2: don't want to work, like eventually you'll have to figure. 529 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:04,240 Speaker 3: Out something to do, to something to do to earn. 530 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:09,800 Speaker 2: And there are things that will never be taken taken 531 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 2: up by AI. And that's what I think Navarro was 532 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 2: talking about, that we need to have a renaissance in 533 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:17,160 Speaker 2: blue collar work, and blue collar work has to pay. 534 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:19,640 Speaker 2: I do give you that I don't think wages have 535 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 2: kept up. I think that there's been a couple of problems. 536 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 2: I think government regulation made business too expensive and it 537 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 2: ended up hurting labor. And for all the talk of unions, 538 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:38,520 Speaker 2: Democrats pound their chest over unions, they love. 539 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:40,720 Speaker 3: Unions, unions, unions, unions. 540 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 2: Like unions, have really let labor down. Wages haven't ket 541 00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:50,480 Speaker 2: up kept up the way they ought to have, and 542 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 2: unions haven't done a very good job of representing. 543 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:55,840 Speaker 3: Certainly in like. 544 00:29:55,800 --> 00:30:00,960 Speaker 2: Industries carbonry, electricians, they're not getting pay aid what they should. 545 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:02,160 Speaker 3: Be getting paid. 546 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 2: I think the service worker union model is a joke, 547 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:11,120 Speaker 2: and I think Americans, frankly that work blue collar labor 548 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:12,000 Speaker 2: should be paid more. 549 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:13,920 Speaker 3: They're worth more, they're more efficient. 550 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:18,040 Speaker 2: If technology and AI and all that does anything, it 551 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:21,280 Speaker 2: allows the person to be more efficient and getting more 552 00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:23,560 Speaker 2: work done, so they should be paid more. 553 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:26,600 Speaker 3: Right, Like, do the simple math. 554 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:31,200 Speaker 2: Just here in southern California nineteen eighty the average wage 555 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:34,720 Speaker 2: in Los Angeles County was twenty thousand dollars a year, 556 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:36,000 Speaker 2: give or take. 557 00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:37,360 Speaker 3: But let's just go with run numbers. 558 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:42,280 Speaker 2: Average cost of a starter home single family home sixty 559 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:43,080 Speaker 2: thousand dollars a year. 560 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:48,239 Speaker 3: Now three times as much. But if you wanted to, 561 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 3: you could. 562 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:51,440 Speaker 2: Save a down payment on a sixty thousand dollars home 563 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 2: making twenty thousand dollars a year. 564 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:53,800 Speaker 3: You could do it. 565 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 2: I mean, it's you have to be mindful of it 566 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:59,880 Speaker 2: and positive, right, it's gonna you have to be aggressive 567 00:30:59,880 --> 00:31:01,960 Speaker 2: to do it. But people to do that, of course 568 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:03,959 Speaker 2: they did. Our parents did it. That's how the houses 569 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:06,120 Speaker 2: got there. And what did they do. They said, well, 570 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 2: we're not taking a vacation this year because we're saving 571 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:10,840 Speaker 2: for a house. We're not going to buy a new 572 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:14,200 Speaker 2: car this year. We're saving for a house. People actually 573 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:17,640 Speaker 2: saved for a house because it was doable. It was 574 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 2: a plan, and they saved for a house, and they 575 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:22,480 Speaker 2: bought a house, and then there was equity in that house, 576 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:23,600 Speaker 2: and then they bought a bigger house. 577 00:31:23,960 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 3: And there you go. 578 00:31:25,240 --> 00:31:28,320 Speaker 2: There's Southern California. You witnessed it, you lived with these people. 579 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:35,360 Speaker 2: Fast forward forty years. Average salary now in Southern California 580 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:40,400 Speaker 2: sixty thousand dollars three times as much. Average cost of 581 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:47,280 Speaker 2: a starter home nine hundred and seventeen thousand dollars. There's 582 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:50,760 Speaker 2: no way, there's no way. And now they want twenty 583 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 2: percent down with prey, with mortgage and shirts. Right, I'll 584 00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:58,800 Speaker 2: give you two people working at six one hundred and 585 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:01,000 Speaker 2: twenty thousand dollars a year, and you're not saving a 586 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:04,600 Speaker 2: down payment ever, because you're also paying rent at the 587 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:05,160 Speaker 2: same time. 588 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:10,920 Speaker 3: So you can say, well, you know, we need to 589 00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:12,720 Speaker 3: build more houses. That'll bring the price down. 590 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:15,800 Speaker 2: Okay, maybe it'll bring it down to eight hundred thousand dollars. 591 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:19,600 Speaker 2: And I'm not a huge fan of creating conditions that 592 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 2: make my house less valuable, but and you're going to 593 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:24,280 Speaker 2: have that pushback. 594 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 3: People don't want a decrease in housing value if you 595 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:30,560 Speaker 3: own a house. But we're trying to solve a problem. 596 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 2: Okay, So even if you did that, even if you flooded, 597 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:38,920 Speaker 2: you just completely forgot about every environmental regulation and just 598 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 2: build houses everywhere where you can find. 599 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 3: A square of dirt, you couldn't do it. You couldn't bring. 600 00:32:43,080 --> 00:32:47,080 Speaker 2: Down the price of the house anywhere near the average wage. 601 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:51,680 Speaker 2: And that's what two people working now. So the problem 602 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:56,000 Speaker 2: isn't the house. The problem is the wage. Americans are efficient, 603 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 2: they're more efficient, and their wages just haven't kept up, 604 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:03,520 Speaker 2: and that where the problem lies. Lou Penrose on KFI 605 00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:06,360 Speaker 2: AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. 606 00:33:06,480 --> 00:33:09,440 Speaker 1: Hey, you've been listening to the John Cobalt Show podcast. 607 00:33:09,520 --> 00:33:11,960 Speaker 1: You can always hear the show live on KFI AM 608 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:14,960 Speaker 1: six forty from one to four pm every Monday through Friday, 609 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:18,320 Speaker 1: and of course, anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app.